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Allen Thornell says no to Gold Dome race

By Project Q Atlanta | Apr 29, 2009 | 5:30 PM

In his calculation whether to seek an opening in the Georgia General Assembly, Allen Thornell says his equation came up a little short.

The longtime gay rights activist told Project Q Atlanta last week that he was considering jumping into the District 58 race, since Robin Shipp resigned the seat. Thornell lost to Shipp in the Democratic primary runoff in 2006.

“When you decide to run for office, it has to be the right opportunity and the right time. And while the opportunity is right, the time is not,” Thornell said this week. “I’ve given it a lot of thought and given my work and where my life is going in general, this is not the right time.”

The heavily-gay district includes portions of Grant Park, East Atlanta, Cabbagetown and west DeKalb neighborhoods.

Thornell, who lives with his partner in East Atlanta, is policy communication director for CARE, a humanitarian organization that combats global poverty based in Atlanta. Thornell resigned as executive director of Georgia Equality in 2004 after two years to become deputy regional political director of the Service Employees International Union.

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